Film: ‘Irumbukottai Murattu Singam’
Cast: Lawrence , Padhmapriya, Lakshmi Rai, Sandhya, Nassar, Manorama and others
Director- Chimbu Deven
Music- GV Prakash
is Chimbu Deven’s unabashed tribute to spaghetti Westerns like ‘The Good, Bad & The Ugly’ that have regaled us over the years with gun-toting cowboys, horses, the helpless sheriffs and the vile baddies.
It’s also his tribute to the swashbuckling heroes, the John Wayne s and Clint Eastwood s. Not to forget nearer home, Bachchan , MGR, and particularly Jaishanker , our own Bond and Wayne rolled into one.
Chimbu Deven spoofs these beautifully, with humour that is slapstick and farcical. Enjoyable for the most part, but the narration slows down at times.
A team of four bet on a small time conman Singaram, a look-alike of their brave hero Singham (Lawrence) who had gone missing, and persuade him to accompany them to Jaishankerpuram. The one-eyed Kizhakku Katte ( Nasser revels in his role), his ‘Yes Boss’ woman ( Lakshmi Rai ), and his vile right hand Ulakke ( Sai Kumar ), lord over Irumbukottai, and torment the people of Jaishankarpuram. Singaram falls for the former sheriff’s comely charming daughter ( Padhmapriya ). There is also the tribal chief, his sassy daughter ( Sandhya ), and his interpreter Lee. The three groups have one thing in common. They are all after a hidden treasure, the clues in an old map.
Episodes involving the tribal chief and his interpreter Lee are hilarious. MS Bhasker and Chaams are the scene-stealers, the former with his gibberish ‘tribal’ lingo, and the latter with his spot-on Tamil translation, brilliantly timed.
The whole treasure-hunt episode has been meticulously worked out. Another fun moment is the flashback scene of Ulakke’s encounter with Singham, Ulakke helpless against Singham’s slap-fest. Lawrence essays this scene splendidly.
The actor jells fairly well with his two characters, of the cowardly diffident Singaram, and in the briefer appearances as the gun toting, fearless Singham. Thankfully, Lawrence’s tendency to go overboard and his usual mannerisms have been curbed to a large extent here.
The three female leads fit in suitably. The set design, particularly the one of the location of the treasure (Muthuraj), the impressive cinematography (Azhagappan), and GV Prakash’s background score; all contribute to sustain the mood and feel. Fairly engaging, this light-hearted comic-action spoof offers a different viewing canvas for the Tamil audiences.